Message-recording instrument.



No. sez-,30s. Patented' Nov. 2o, |900. J. .1. RunmcK. MESSAGE RECORDING INSTRUMENT.

(Application filed Aug. 7, 1899,)

(N o Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

ZZYM/Q 1n: mums paens co., mocmmo.. wAsmNcYou, n4 c No. 662,308. PatentedlNov. 20, i900.

MESSAGE RECORDING INSTRUMENT.

(Application mea Aug. '1'. 189s.) (No Model.) 3 Sheds-Sheet 24 mtlrlEEEEE.: H. m. #MMMJ m: mums persas co. maremma., Nm-warum n. c

No. 662,308. l Patented Nov. 20, |900.

` J... J,.. KUBRICK..

I IESSAGE REGORMNG. INSTRUMENT. (Application flled' Aug.. 7, 1899.).

(l0.- Madel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOI-IN J. RUDDIOK, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GAME- iVELL FIRE-ALARM TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MESSAGE-RECORDING INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of' Letters Patent No. 662,308. dated November 20, 19,00.

Application iiled August '7, 1899.

To (if/ZZ wtom t 11i/a7.; concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. RUDDICK, of Newton, county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Message-Recording Instruments, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to improve the construction of message-recording instruments especially adapted for recording firealarm and other signals, and many of the novel features are particularly applicable to multiple recording instruments-that is to say, those adapted to be connected with a number of signaling-circuits.

The invention consists in a separate frame or support for each marking-roll, which is pivoted to an independently-detachable arm and elastically connected to the armature of an electroinagnet; also, in an ink-conveying roll which at all times bears upon the marking-roll and is supported by and removable with said frame or support; also,-in means for moving said frame independent of and in opposition 1.o said electromagnet, so as to draw the marking-roll away from the paper after a predetermined interval of time to thereby limit the length of marks which the markingroll shall make upon the paper; also, in supporting upon the frame or support the essential cooperating parts of the means employed for independently moving the frame or support after a predetermined interval of time in opposition lo the electromagnet in order that said parts may be removed with the marking-roll at any desired time; also, in improved means for starting the recording instrument; also, in improved means for stopping the recording instrument; also, in an improved controlling or governing device for the train, whereby the train will not be retarded at the beginning of its operation-that is lo say, when first let oli or released-and also in certain details of construction, as will be hereinafter described.

Figure l shows in side elevation a messagerecording instrument embodying this invention, Fig. 2 is a detail of the paper-moving mechanism. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the recording instrument taken on the dotted line c so, Fig. A. Fig. A is a plan view o t' Serial No. 726,437. (No model the recording instrument. Fig. 5 is a detail showing one of the marking-rolls and pivoted frame bearing it and the removable or detachable arm to which said frame is pivoted, and also other parts which are supported by said frame. Fig. 6 is a detail of the let-off or tripping lever and means for operating it 6o to stop the train after it has been moved to release the train. Fig. 7 is a detail showing the fan which controls or governs the movement of the train.

The base-plate A has erected upon it two @31, and presents at each side of said shaft @31 75 a loop @33 C033, and a weight @31, suspended from a roll @35, is supported by the loop @33, and a weight c3, suspended from a roll d3?, is supported by the loop (L33, and said loop L33 passes over and under suitable rolls. gear-wheel a4 is secured to the shaft c, and it engages a pinion a3, secured to a shaft o, and a gear-wheel aT is secured to said shaft a3, which engages a pinion as, secured to a shaft The driving 8o Ct",to which is secured the gear-wheel auhwhich engages a pinion @13, secured to the escapeinent-sliaft C013, which, as herein shown, carries the fan al". The train, which is composed of the gearing thus described, is normally held in condition to operate whenever released and 9o is adapted to operate the paper-moving mech` anism and other parts of the recording instrument, as will be described.

Ordinarily the fan am, which controls or goverus'the speed of the train, is rigidly se- 95 cured to the shaft bearing it, and as a result the train will start slowly when released, its operation being more or less retarded by overcomingtheinertiaof the fan,andconsequently the speed of the train is varied. have overcome this difiiculty by forming a screw-thread n.13 on the escapement-shaft cl3 (see Fig. 7) for a portion of its length` or it may be extended substantially the full length of said shaft, and have provided the fan o with a nut cl3, which is adapted to receive and Herein I roo turn upon said screw-thread a1, although if the shaft is screw -threaded for its entire length, two or more such nuts may be provided on the fan. henever the train is released the shaft L13 will begin to revolve at its full speed, and, the fan C014 being` at rest, said shaft will turn within the nut am; but there is sufficient friction provided between the screw-thread and nut so that the inertia of the fan is gradually overcome, and it begins to turn slowly at first, but gradually increasing` in speed until it revolves at substantially the same speed as the shaft. As the fan is thus revolved it moves along on the shaft @13 in one direction-as, for instance, from the full to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 7. Near one end of the shaft C113 a disk d" is secured bearinga laterallylprojecting stop-pin @19, and when the fan a1* has been moved along on the shaft L13 until it revolves al' a speed substantially equal to the speed of said shaft it will be brought into engagement with said stop-pin Q19, and then it becomes as if fixed to the shaft, and is consequently positively revolved by it. Thusit will be seen that whenever the train is started it will immediately begin to operate at full speed. i/Vhenever the train ceases to operate the shaft (L13 is suddenly arrested; but the lfan n.11 continues to revolve by the momentum imparted to it, and as it thus revolves it moves along on the shaft in the opposite way from the dotted to the full line position shown in Fig. 7, and by reason of the friction provided between the screwthread and nut its speed is gradually reduced until when it has returned to said fullline position it has almost ceased to revolve. A disk amis secured to said shaftd1S near that end opposite to which the disk d is secured, which is made substantially like the disk @17 and has a stop-pin d20 projecting from it, and just as the fan C014 ceases to revolve it is brought into engagement with said stop-pin d20. Thus it will be seen that the train may be suddenly stopped without material shock or jar.

To hold the train at rest and to release it whenever desired, a detent Z9 is secured to the outer end of the escapement-shaft C013, (see Figs. l, 6, and 7,) and a let-off or tripping lever Z2 is secured at its lower end to a yoke or frame Zig, which is pivoted at ZJ3 to one end of a rock-shaft b1, having its bearings in the side plates of the machine, said yoke or frame Z)2 moving with the shaft b4 as the latter is rocked and also moving independently thereof on its pivots Zr; at right angles to the movement of said shaft. The upper end of the let-.off or tripping lever Z/ normally engages the detent Zi and is caused to release said detent Z) when the shaft b4 is rocked.

As is usual in instruments of this class, it is designed that whenever the train is released it shall not be again stopped until after a predetermined interval of time succeeding the last impulse-as, for instance, until the rocksha'ft b1 has remained at rest for a predethis result the let-off or tripping lever Z1 engages or coperates with a worm Zr", which is secured to and projects from one end of a shaft Z315, and at the inner end of said worm Z a deep groove Zf" is formed on the shaft ZIG, which receives said let-off or tripping lever Zi when held in position to engage the detent/Z) and arrest the train. This groove b1 is deeper than the depth of the threads of the worm, so as to insure positively holding the trippinglever in such position that the rapidly-revolving detent Z), when engaging its upper end, will not act to throw said lever out and thereby cause the train to continue to run for an uncertain period of time. The operation of this part of the machine is as follows: l/Vhenever the shaft b4 is rocked the let-oll or tripping lever Z9 is moved to disengage the detent Z), which being secured lo the escapement-shaft L13 rapidly revolves with said shaft, and as the lever Z2 is thus moved by the rockshaft it will be removed from the deep groove ZJ7 and by means of a spring Zls attached to it will be moved on its pivots Zi outwardly against an adjustingscrew ZJ". As soon as the rock-shaft b1 is restored to its normal position the let-olic or tripping level' will be moved into engagement with the worm Zi, and by said worm will be gradually restored to its normal position, and if said rockshaft b1 should remain at rest for a suit-able length of time the let-off or tripping lever b will be moved into engagement with the deep groove ZJ?, and when in such position will engage the detent Z) and arrest the train.

Heretofore releasing devices have been iliade similar to the releasing device herein shown, yet so far as l am aware the deep annular groove b1 has never been provided at the end of the worm.

The rock-shaft b1 extends from side to side of the instrument and has projecting u pwardly from it a number of lingers or short arms Z912, corresponding to the number of recording or marking devices provided, and each finger Z112 is so disposed as to be engaged and operated by one of the recording or marking devices, as will be described, so that as any one of said recording or marking devices is operated the shaft b1 will be rocked to release the train. A spring Zim is connected at one end to a hook on the rock-shaft b4 and at its other end to an adjusting-screw Z214, which v serves to normally hold the rock-shaft Z)1,with all of its fingers 612, in engagement with said recording or marking devices.

c represents a roll on the shaft aover which the paper 010 travels, and said roll c is provided at each end with a toothed wheel c c', the teeth of which are made quite sharp and pointed, so as to prick into the paper traveling over it. Just above said toothed wheels c' c' rolls c2 c2 are supported by brackets, said rolls c2 c2 revolving freely and bearing upon the paper on the rollo and holdingit permanently in engagement with the toothed wheels termined period of time, and to accomplish c c. A positively-operating paper-moving` IOO inechanism is thus provided. The roll c will be made quite long, so that a wide strip of paper may he employed, which will he suliicient to provide for a number of recording or marking devices.

Several recording or markingdevices will be provided,as many as desired; but for the sake of illustration four are herein shown, together with the means foroperating them. Referring to Fig. 5, showing one of the recording` or marking devices, d represents a frame which, as shown, is made as a hell-crank lever, and said frame is pivoted at d to the extremity of an arm d2, which is detachahly secured to a har d3 by means of a screw d4. The marking-roll e is journaled to the upperextremity of onearm of the frame d and is adapted to mark upon the moving paper when brought into contact with it. An ink-conveying roll e is journaled to the upper end of an upright spring-sup ported arm e2, which bears directly upon said marking-roll e at all times, and the said spring-supported arm c2 is attached to the frame d by a screw c3 or otherwise. The frame d has projecting` downwardly from it a short arm or linger d5, which is made long enough to engage one of the upwardly-projecting arms 1112 on the rock-shaft b4, and as the frame d is moved on its pivot the said linger d5 will in turn move the arm L?, and thereby rock the shaft h4. A plate d6, herein shown as made T-shaped, is pivoted at (Z7 to the frame d at or near the base of the fluger d5, and said plate is slotted at d8 to receive a pin di) on the nger d5, which limits the movement of said plate d in both directions. A spring d10, which is attached at one end to said pivoted plate d and at the other end to the frame d, normally holds said plate in the position shown in Fig. 5, with the pin d bearing against one end of the slot d3, and said plate d6 is moved on its pivot against the tension of said spring d10. A link C112 is loosely and preferably detachably connected at one end to said plate d and at the opposite end to the upper end of the armature-lever Cl of the electromagnet du. As herein shown, the armature is normally retracted; but when attracted the link CP2 will pull the plate d6, which will be moved more or less on its pivot as the frame d bearing it is moved on its pivot d to move the marking-roll e into engagement with the moving paper. 'lhus it will be seen that the frame d is elastically connected with the armature-lever of the electromagnet and is moved or operated by said lever to cause the marking-roll borne by it to engage the moving paper. A spring dI5 is attached at one end to a projection dl on the frame d and at the other end to au adjustingscrew C, supported hy the detachable arm d2, and said spring operates to normally hold the frame with its marking-roll, removed from the moving paper, and it also serves as the retractile spring for the armaturedever. It will therefore be seen that as the armaturelever vibrates in responding to the operations of the circuit of the electromagnet the 1narking-roll c will be correspondingly moved into engagementwith the moving papel' to record the vibrations of said armature-lever.

ln many instances the vibrations ofthe armaturelever vary to correspond to changes of different duration in the circuit of the electromagnet, yet it is desirable that the records made by the marking-roll shall all be substantial ly ali liethat is to say, all substantially of the same length-and to accomplish this result the i'narking-roll e is caused to recede from the paper after it has remained in engagement with it for a certain length of time, and such movement of the said marking-roll is independent of the armature-lever. In carrying out this feature of my invention a curved ingerj" is pivoted atf' to a plate f2, which is in turn pivoted at]C3 to a projection dl on the frame (l, and said curved ngerfis normally held depressed by means of a flat springfl, bearing upon it. The plateff, bearing said pivoted fingerf,has a slotf", which receives a pin f on the projection (1, and by means of said pin the movement of the pivoted platef2 is limited in both directions. One end of a springfT is attached to the heel end of the finger f, and the opposite end of said spring is attached to an uprightarm j, which is herein shown as made more or less springacting, and the tendency of said spring f7 is to draw the nger and plate bearing it in a direction toward the left until limited by the pin f6.

'i represents a roll formed or provided with a milled or roughened surface and having its bearings in `the side plates of the machine, and said roll is positively rotated whenever the machine is in operation, and said roll is located close to and wit-hin the curvature of the ingerf, so that whenever the machine is in operation and the marking-roll c moved into engagement with the moving paper the curved lngerf,ho1ne by the frame d, will be brought into engagement with said roll. The ngerf will be heldin engagement with said rollfl in a yielding manner by reason of the elastic connection of said linger with the frame d, and by reason of the milled or roughened surface of said roll the fingerj" will as soon as brought into engagement with it begin to travel upward and forward, and such movement is sufficient to positively move the frame d a short distance in opposition to the action of the armat-ure-lever, so as to remove the marking-roll c from the moving paper. It will be understood that a certa-in period of time is required for the curved finger to he thus moved sufficient to in turn move the marking-roll e away from the paper, and as a result the marks or records made by the marking-roll will all be of substantially the same length.

As a means of revolving the milled roll z' a toothed gear n is secured to one end of the shaft c, which engages a pinion 'm' on the shaft m2, and said pinion Im. engages a pinion IOO IIO

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La; ceases m8, secured to said milled roll t. It will be seen that as the marking-roll e and frame d bearing it and the other cooperating parts of the marking or recording devices are all secured to an independentlydetachable arm d2 the said marking or recording device may be removed at will, and, as before stated, a number of like marking or recording devices are provided. Any one of them may be removed without disturbing the remaining` marking or recording devices, and such fea ture is of importance in case any repairs are necessary. A toothed wheel m4 is also secured to said shaft. m2, which engages a pinion m5 on the shaft lf, to thereby positively rotate said shaft and Worm carried by it. The shaft m2 bears an ink-conveying roll m8, and when the frame d is in its normal position, with its markingroll removed from the moving paper, the ink-conveying roll e, borne by said frame d, will bear upon said ink-conveying roll m8 to receive therefrom a supply of in lc to be delivered to the marking-roll e. In ll vis supplied to said ink-conveying roll m8 by means of an ink-supply roll m10, which has its bearings in the side plates of the machine, and said ink-supply roll m10 is freely revoluble, and its felt or other suitable covering adapts it to receive a large supply of ink, which may be poured thereon as required.

Beneath the ink-conveying roll m8 a pan n is secured, which receives and directs any drippings of ink down into a suitable reservoir or receptacle or, adapted to receive them. The reservoir or receptacle n consists, essentially, of a hopper-like top portion having suitable side walls and formed with an open bottom which communicates with a semicylindrical trough 71.2 open at the top and held in a correspondingly-shaped receiver n3, and said trough 'n2 is adapted to be Withdrawn endwise from said receiver n3 through an opening in one of the side plates, and said trough has secured toit at one end a knob n, by means of which it may be Withdrawn at Will.

The recording instrument is herein also designed to cause an incandescent electric lamp to glow during the time that it is operating, and to accomplish this result a circuit-operating device for the circuit of an incandescent electric lamp 2l is secured to one of the side plates, as A?, and said circuit-opel'- ating device consists of a pair of spring-acting contact-pens 22 23, secured to an insulating-block 24, the normal tendency of said spring-acting contact-pens being` to close together, and thereby close the circuit 2O when permitted so to do. A lever 25 is pivoted at 2G to the contact-pen 22, and said lever projects beyond the extremity of the pen 22 into the path of movement of the let-off or tripping lever Z9', so as to be turned on its pivot by said lever into the path of movement of a pin 27, projecting from the toothed wheel m5. A spring 28 (see Fig. 4) is attached to said lever 25, which acts to move said lever on its pivotk26 to throw it out of the path of movenient of said pin 27 when the let-off or trip ping lever is operated to release the train. As represented in Fig. l, the let-off or tripping lever b" is in engagement with its dctent, thereby arresting the train, and consequently has moved the lever 25 on its pivot into the path of movement of the pin 27, and said pin 27 has raised said lever 25 and spring-acting contact-pen 22 sufliciently to open the circuitoperating` device of the circuit 20; but when the said let-off or tripping lever is operated to release the train the lever 25 is moved on its pivot 26 by the spring 2S, and is thereby removed from the path of movement of the pin 27, and the spring-acting contact-pen 22 at once engages the contact-pen 23 and closes the lamp-circuit 20. The contact-pens 22 23 will remain closed until such time as the letoff or tripping lever again moves the lever 25 into the path of movement of the pin 27 and said pin has lifted the contact-pen 22 free from the contact-pen 23. A toothed wheel m5, bearing the pin 27, is positively driven, as heretofore described, during the entire operation of the machine; but the let-off or tripping lever b is not returned t0 its normal position, so as to vact to stop the train until a predetermined period of time after the last impulse, and consequently the lamp-circuit 2O will remain closed from the time the machine is started until the machine ceases to operate.

It is obvious that many of the features herein described may be constructed in different Ways Without departing from this invention and also that some of them may be omitted, if desired.

I claiml. In a message-recording instrument, an electromagnet, its armature, a marking-roll, a pivoted frame bearing it elastically con'- nected with and operated by said armature to engage a moving strip of paper, and independent means for moving said frame to move the marking-roll from the paper after a predetermined interval of time, substantially as described.

2. In a message-recording instrument, an electromagnet, its armature, a marking-roll, a pivoted frame bearing it elastically connected with and operated by said armature to engage a moving strip of paper, and independent means for moving said frame to move the marking-roll from the paper after a predetermined interval of time consisting ot' a finger connected with said frame and a rotating roll 'having a milled or roughened surface into engagement with which said iinger is moved when the marking-roll is moved into engagement with the paper, substantially as described.

3. In a message-recording instrument, an

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'the marking-roll from the paper after a predetermined interval of time consisting of a 'linger elastically connected with the pivoted lframe and a rotating roll having a milled or roughened surface into engagement with which said finger is moved when the marking` roll is moved into engagement with the paper, substantially as described.

1i. In a message-recording instrument, an eleotromagnet, its armature, a marking-roll, a pivoted frame bearing it elastically connected with and operated by said armature to engage a moving strip of paper, and independent means for moving said frame to move the marking-roll from the paper after a predetermined interval of time consisting of a curved iinger elasticaily connected with the pivoted frame and a roll driven by the motor mechanism of the recording instrument having a milled or roughened surface into engagement with Which said finger is moved when the marking-roll is moved into engagement with the paper, substantially as described.

5. In a message-recording instrument, a marking-roll and an ink-conveying roll, a pivoted frame bearing them, an electromagnet having its armature connected with said pivoted frame, and a positively-driven inkingroll in engagement With which said ink-conveying roll is held when said armature is in its normal position,substantially as described.

G. In a message-recording instrument, a marking-roll and an ink-conveyingroll, a pivoted frame bearing them, an arm bearing said pivoted frame detachably secured to the frame of the machine, and an electromagnet having its armature detachably connected with said pivoted frame for operating it, substantially as described.

7. In a message-recording instrument, a marking-roll, a frame bearing it, an arm detachably secured to the frame of the machine to which said marking-roll trame is pivoted, an electromagnel having its armature connected with said pivoted frame, and a spring attached to one end to said pivoted frame and at the other end to an adjusting-screw supported by said detachable arm, substantially as described.

8. In a message-recording instrument, a marking-roll, a frame bearing it, an arm detachably secured to the frame of the machine to which said marking-roll frame is pivoted, an electromagnet, its armature, and a detachable link connecting said armature with said pivoted frame, substantially as described.

9. In a message-recording instrument, a marking-roll, a frame bearing it, an arm detachably secured to the frame of the machine to which said marking-roll frame is pivoted, an electromagnet having its armature connected with said pivoted frame, and independent means for moving said pivoted frame to remove the marking-roll from the paper after a predetermined interval of time, a coperating part oli' Which is borne by said pivoted frame, substantially as described.

10. In a message-recording instrument, a number of marking-rolls, a corresponding p num ber of independent frames bearing them,

independen bly-detachable arms secured to the frame of the machine to which said markingroll frames are pivoted, electromagnets with the armatures of which said pivoted frames are connected, and means for conveying a wide strip of paper along near said markingroll to be engaged by any one of them, substantially as described.

ll. In a message-recording instrument, a number ot' markingrolls, a corresponding numberof independent frames bearing them, independently-detachable arms secured to the frame of the machine to which said markingroll frames are pivoted, ink-conveying rolls also borne by said pivoted frames which at all times bear upon said marking-rolls, a positively-driven inking-roll which said ink-conveying rolls are adapted to engage, and electromagnets with the armatures of Which said pivoted trames are connected, substantially as described.

l2. In a message-recording instrument, a paper-moving train, a number of recording or marking devices each havinga projection d5, a rock-shaft, a number of fingers b12 corresponding to the number of recording or marking devices borne by said rock-shaft and adapted to be engaged by said projection di, a let-ott or tripping lever for said paper-moving train secured to said rock-shaft and a number ot' electromagnets corresponding to the number of recording or marking devices, the armatures of which are connected With and adapted to operate said recording or marking devices to thereby operate said letoff or tripping lever and release said papermoving train, substantially as described.

13. In a message-recording instrument, a train, a let-off or tripping lever therefor, an electromagnet for operating said lever to release the train, a spring for moving said lever out of position to engage and stop the train, and a worm for returning it into position to stop the train having at one end a groove deeper than the threads of the Worm which receives said lever when in position to stop the train, substantially as described.

la. A train, a fan governing the operation of said train, a screw-rod connected with and operated by said train upon which said fan is mounted and along which it is movable in both directions and a stop for; the fan at each end of said screw-rod, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tivo subscribing witnesses.

JOHN J. RUDDICK.

Vitnesses:

B. J. NoYns, H. B. Davis.

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